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Today, Birmingham Fire Department investigators scan the remains of the Channel Letter Company in North Avondale to uncover the cause of the Wednesday afternoon blaze that destroyed the building

Early this morning firefighters continued to put out hot spots at the building.

Birmingham Fire and Rescue received the first call at 4:15 p.m., Wednesday, Fire Marshal and Battalion Chief C.W. Mardis said.

“There was heavy fire and smoke showing from the structure — a vacant warehouse,” he said. “[The fire] initially started out as a 2-alarm but it did expand to a 3-alarm due to manpower considerations and the size of the structure.”

Firefighters contained the blaze within an hour but remained on the scene until after 10 p.m.

The surrounding blocks were barricaded as over a dozen emergency vehicles lined the neighborhood streets. A large smoke cloud attracted motorists from the Red Mountain Expressway and First Avenue North. The onlookers gathered along a hillside gravel road off First Avenue, commenting on the bits of blazing paper soaring skyward.

Neighbors as far away as Crestwood stood on their lawns as the sun settled, watching the black plume drift overhead.

“[A fire like this] happens from time to time, unfortunately,” Mardis said. “We’re just glad no one was injured.” The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.